Westland Area Commission members discussed the status of future meetings, talking about potential guest speakers and topics.

CARLA SMITH, ThisWeek Community News

Westland Area Commission members discussed the status of future meetings, talking about potential guest speakers and topics.

The commission held its monthly meeting Wednesday, Feb. 20, at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital and was met with a slim agenda after its guest speaker for the evening said he could not attend.

Larry Price, representing Columbus City Schools was scheduled to speak at the meeting about the future of the school district.

"He was to be here to discuss and gather suggestions for improvements to Columbus Schools," commission Chairwoman Linda Pitts said. "He did not make it."

While Price will more than likely be rescheduled for a future meeting, there was discussion about the potential of getting more guest speakers to attend monthly commission meetings.

Pitts said she would like to learn more about Prairie Township and what progress it is making with the building of a community recreation center.

Pitts said she would like to have one of the Prairie trustees talk about the future rec center, however their meetings coincide with the times and days of the area commission.

"We are actually thinking about switching the day of the March meeting to allow the township to send a representative," Pitts said.

Commission Vice Chairman Bill Steimer said he would help with the effort to obtain more guest speakers, with the primary focus on getting Prairie Township officials to address the commission.

Other matters

In other commission news, South-Western City School District Deputy Superintendent Phil Warner, informed the commission the district will be watching what the state does when it comes to the future of school funding.

"We are very anxious to see what comes out of the state budget and what the new school funding plan will mean for our district," Warner said.

"The bottom line is ... it's all very preliminary."

Warner said the state is also working towards the creation of a new committee that will address safety issues at Ohio Schools in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, in Newtown, Conn.

Guns won't be the only thing addressed within the committee, but how to also address mental health issues, Warner said.

Westland Area residents can also look forward to ground-breakings for two new schools to replace existing schools, Warner said. Both Prairie Norton and Alton Hall will be opening in new buildings in 2015, he said.

"We are optimistic we will break ground late April and early May," Warner said.

The next Westland Area Commission meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. March 20 at OhioHealth Doctors West Hospital.